St. Matthew the Apostle’s ‘Kindness Krewe’ models, cultivates empathy

Above:  Once uttered, unkind words can leave an indelible mark on the heart of the injured party, as demonstrated by paper hearts that cannot be smoothed after crumpling them. (Photo by Beth Donze)

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

Robin Ferrara was moved to tears after hearing the story of two St. Matthew students who had exhibited “extreme kindness” during a cross-country race in which they were competing.
                 
The story, shared by St. Matthew’s principal Tony Bonura during morning announcements, went like this: When the two St. Matthew runners noticed that a runner from another school was in distress toward the end of the race, they stopped to assist him, sacrificing any chances of their posting a good time. The St. Matthew runners then walked with the fallen athlete – a boy whom they didn’t even know – to the finish line, allowing him to cross first so he wouldn’t finish last.

“I thought, ‘We need to hear more stories like that!’” said Ferrara, who went on to create an afterschool club of fifth, sixth and seventh graders called the Kindness Krewe with her fellow St. Matthew pre-K3 assistant teacher Tammy Bradshaw. Now in its second year, the krewe meets monthly to brainstorm ways to spread kindness and empathy not just on campus, but to the surrounding community.

“Last year we had about 20 kids. This year we have 31! We’re focusing on empathy and ways of helping others to be kind as well,” said Ferrara, citing ongoing activities such as posting kindness posters on campus; painting ”Kindness Rocks” for a garden near the school’s front office – to give to students in need of a lift; writing birthday cards to teachers; and presenting a kindness-themed play to pre-K students.

One Friday each month, the krewe issues “kindness shout-outs“ to deserving students and teachers over the intercom.

“We painted a Buddy Bench for the playground and marched in (last year’s) kindergarten Mardi Gras parade handing out kindness stickers,” Ferrara added.

Words do have impact

On “World Kindness Day” on Nov. 13, krewe members visited the homerooms of students in kindergarten through fourth grade to lead a short presentation on the impact of being kind – or unkind – to others. After giving each youngster a paper heart, the Kindness Krewe members instructed them to crumble up their heart, tell their heart they were “sorry,” and then challenged them to return the heart to its original condition.

“But they can’t (completely smooth them out) – that’s what mean words do to people; you have to say you’re sorry, but you can’t make them the way they were before,” Ferrara told her krewe members during a Nov. 9 run-through. 

Kindness ripples outward

While the bulk of the krewe’s activities to date have been confined to their campus, this year members are “venturing out a little bit,” Ferrara said, noting that the donations of canned goods that are brought up during the offertory of St. Matthew’s weekly school Masses have taken on extra meaning to her krewe members, she said.

Last month, the Kindness Krewe went to Jefferson Presbyterian Church’s food bank – a Second Harvest site open on first and third Saturdays – to pack and distribute bags of food, a candy treat, a prayer and a handwritten note.

“The thing that really got me (at the food bank) was when they realized that the cans they bring to church are the cans that are used by the people that they saw,” Ferrara said. The young volunteers were exposed to all degrees of need, from the completely homeless to others who just needed a few extra items to get them through the month.

“It made a lot of them say, ‘I want to bring more cans to next week’s Mass – because they saw where it was going,” Ferrara said.

Sixth-grade krewe member Javier Quinonez said he learned that food bank recipients “still have a story to tell that’s more deep than you think.”

“You think it’s the guy who did some substance and ended up on the street, but we had one (recipient) who was an Army veteran, and one who had a big-shot job but lost it all,” Javier said. “He was so grateful to see these kids walking up to them (to help).”

Sixth-grade krewe member Ryan Gordon said he enjoyed another kindness project: writing chalk messages of support along St. Matthew’s breezeway during exam week. Another simple project was creating a “Kindness Hopscotch” for younger students that reads: “I am kind, thankful, respectful, smart, brave, unique.”

“(After monthly Kindness Krewe meetings) I feel so happy,” Ryan said. “I’m in a school where I am loved and cared for.”

***********

Gracious God,

We are grateful for the kindness and generosity you show us every day. We ask that you help us to see those around us in the same way that you do. Shape our hearts to be like you and guide our hands by your spirit in showing kindness and generosity to others today. Amen. – Opening prayer said at meetings of St. Matthew the Apostle School’s Kindness Krewe